2013 Mets Draft Scouting Report: RHP Johnny Magliozzi

With their 17th-round selection, the Mets took Florida right-handed reliever Johnny Magliozzi. The Mets drafted Magliozzi purely for his fastball and his command of it; there really isn’t a whole lot else going for him right now, which may sound harsher than what it actually means.

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First of all, Magliozzi is short. At just 5 feet, 10 inches and 180 pounds, he doesn’t have the stature or durable frame you typically associate with starting pitchers, and there just isn’t any projection there. What you see is what you get. Second, his offspeed stuff isn’t great. The changeup and the curve are both just average at best, with the latter needing a little more velocity and a little more break. And third, his mechanics aren’t the cleanest. Like many short pitchers, he needs to use everything at his disposal to squeeze out every drop of velocity, so it’s definitely a high-effort delivery with long action, late elbow pronation, a long stride, and quite a bit of arm recoil at the end. In other words, not only does he not have the build of a typical starter, but his mechanics scream reliever all the way.

Further complicating things, Magliozzi is a draft-eligible sophomore--and, in fact, he was an even rarer beast last year as a draft-eligible freshman--so he’s old for his class and has another two years of eligibility, giving his some leverage.

The good news is that he has solid average fastball velocity at 91-93, and it’ll even bump 95. The pitch has some arm-side run to it, and he commands it very well. Coaches also speak highly of his demeanor on the mound and his pitchability. Generally speaking, he knows what he’s doing on the mound.

Magliozzi has some work to do on his offspeed offerings, but he does have a chance at eventually fitting into a bullpen, which is good news for a 17th-round pick.